Filed under: Convertible , Coupe , Performance , Japan Mitsuoka Orochi Premium Gold – Click above for high-res image gallery So you’re headed to Japan and need to rent a car. What to choose? The island nation is a smorgasbord of metal foreign to American tastes, from a wide buffet of pint-sized kei-cars to more American-sized contraptions. But what if none of those options have the kind of flair you require for that special business... 

Inside Line: 2011 Kia Optima EX First Drive The new Optima shares exactly zero external sheet metal or interior panels with the Sonata, so the vibe is entirely different. Whereas the Hyundai Sonata comes across as svelte — pretty, even — the 2011 Kia Optima looks taut, purposeful and ready to go. Green Car: How a $41K CNG Van Can Be Cheaper Than Its $25K Gasoline Cousin We know CNG is cheaper and cleaner than gas or diesel and we... 

Chevrolet expands the Cruze lineup with a five-door hatch for Europe. Everybody knows hatchbacks are king in Europe’s crowded compact-car segment, but Chevy’s data provides proof: The brand says hatches account for 65 percent of sales in the class. And now Chevy’s new Cruze will enter the fray with a five-door hatchback variant set to debut at the Paris auto show. It expands upon the Cruze sedan that has been on sale overseas since last... 

> Motorsports always has been about humans pushing themselves and their machines to the limit to extract maximum performance. From the earliest days of the automobile, racing fans have been captivated by the displays of skill, courage and technical prowess. They also enjoy the thrill of knowing that when cars are pushed to the edge, anything can go wrong. Schadenfreude is part of the sport, even if it is not politically correct to admit it.... 

The newest electric aircraft to take flight is a tiny airplane from a big airplane company. The Cri-Cri, developed by Airbus’ parent company, EADS, made its first flight Thursday at Le Bourget airport near Paris. The Cri-Cri is based on an existing design that uses two small gasoline engines. EADS swapped the gasoline engines with four small electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack. The plane, which was unveiled in June , was airborne... 

We can’t pretend to be overly enamored with former “car czar” Steve Rattner, who oversaw the auto bailout before being disgraced for his role in a New York pension fund pay-for-play scandal. Still, the guy was in the thick of things during last year’s negotiations over Detroit’s rescue, so he knows where the bodies are  Read More →

Mercedes-Benz is upgrading the Mobile Application portion of its mbrace telematics system to include remote concierge service. The mobile app already allows remote services such as door locking and unlocking, vehicle location, roadside assistance and a dealer locator. Previously concierge service was only available from inside the vehicle. The Mobile Application 2.0 version of mbrace, which is supplied to Mercedes-Benz by Hughes Telematics ,... 

Posted on 09.3.2010 17:00 by Bryan Usrey Filed under: Buick | sedan | midsize cars | TopSpeed Garage | Buick Regal | Cars | Car News Take a visual trip with us down to Florida. Ignore the hot sun, sticky humidity, alligators, hurricanes, and all the other stuff that makes the state terrible, and focus on the retirees. What sort of car are they driving at 10 miles per hour below the speed limit? If you guessed a Buick , you would be right. We... 

I have survived Southern California’s horrendous traffic jams, though just barely. How anybody could stand to sit in traffic for hours on end, day in and day out, is beyond me. People do it though, and it seems to have bred a special kind of patience in the residents of Southern California. California also is a bastion of green living, and there are many advantages to owning a hybrid  Read More →

The Peel P50 was built on the Isle of Man in the 1960’s and powered by a 49cc gas engine that pushed the car to a 40 mph top speed and delivered more than 80 mpg. It was the smallest production automobile ever built, and—despite only 70 examples being produced —has become wildly popular in microcar circles, especially since appearing in a 2007 segment of the BBC’s hit show TopGear . This new-found popularity and BBC visibility... 

Enco Exclusive are famous with their tuning packages for big SAVs. They now offer a new widebody kit for BMW X6 – the sports activity coupe. The package includes a new front bumper with integrated LED daytime lights and three huge air intakes, extended wheel arches, set of side sills and modified rear doors.  Read More →

RENM is based in Melbourne, Australia. One of their latest projects is Porsche 997 Turbo RM580. The tuning package includes boosting the engine, interior upgrades and a set of enormous wheels. The power output is increased with 16 per cent. The twin-turbo 3.8 liter flat-six engine now delivers 580PS and 800Nm of torque. The specific upgrades  Read More →

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is on a mission to help create a transportation system that makes us fitter, not fatter The agency, which promotes and protects public health and safety, is pushing active transportation systems in a big way, and it’s fitting in light of the undeniable fact the United States is getting ever fatter. The number of states with an obesity rate of 30 percent or more tripled, to nine, between 2007... 

KA24DE engine for sale The KA24DE was a stock Nissan engine often used in the sporty 240SX. A 2.4Liter, 4 cylinder, fuel-injected, [DOHC] dual overhead camshaft engine, manufactured by Nissan in the USA between the years 1991 and 1999. It was a factory install engine in 10 other Nissan cars and trucks, and was known for its outstanding fuel mileage and strong cast-iron block. It came in a variety of Nissan vehicles from 1991 to 2004. Being produced... 

For the consumer whose car-buying ritual has involved getting a brochure at the dealership, there's a shock in store on the next shopping trip. While car brochures have been time-tested tools for consumers who want to learn more about the features and design philosophy of a vehicle, they're getting harder and harder to find. But don't mourn (too much) the demise of the car brochure. Twenty years ago, about the only thing a consumer...